Booking a wedding ceremony venue and a wedding reception venue as soon as possible could help save couples money, according to wedding expert Katie Mercado.

Writing for baltimoresun.com, Mercado claims booking a wedding venue early could save some money in the long run. Also, some locations also have some secret incentives for those who book early.

In addition, realsimple.com suggests scheduling the wedding in off-peak times when there’s less competition for dates.

There are plenty of other ways to save money on the big day, such as deciding on a set menu or making a family style meal at home.

“This allows everyone to have options without going overboard on cost. You can also opt to bring your own dessert at most places. This allows you to add a personal flair – and for less,” she confirmed.

Flowers can also be used for every occasion – from the ceremony to the meal. This could give savings of up to (approximately) £625, added Mercado.

“Make it so your ceremony flowers can then be moved to serve as centrepieces and your bridesmaid bouquets can dress up the cake table,” she said. “For example, use pomanders (balls of flowers) during the ceremony, with ribbon so they can hang at the end of each row; then, move them inside to sit as centrepieces during the reception.”